Northern lights (motif)
From the very beginning of the story Lyra finds inspiration in the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. She hopes to see them with her own eyes. When Lyra finally makes it to the North, each mention of the aurora is followed by an important plot development. For example, the first time that Lyra sees the northern lights Kaisa flies into her view. This moment is important because Serafina’s dæmon indicates that the witch will join her cause. In this way, the Golden Compass builds on ancient traditions which viewed the aurora borealis as a kind of omen or message about the future. Moreover, the northern lights indicate that Lyra must head north toward otherworldly forces in her search for truth and justice.
Eyes (motif)
When Pullman introduces new characters, he often describes their eyes. In this way, eyes serve as a motif as well as a characterization device that reveals people’s true nature. For example, the witches’ consul, Martin Lansalius, looks like a boring office worker. However, he has “intense and brilliant green…eyes, which were the only witchlike thing about him” (P.102).
Alethiometer (symbol)
Lyra receives the alethiometer at the moment she leaves her childhood home. Later, it serves her as a tool for finding the truth. In this way, Pullman uses the alethiometer as a symbol for inner truth: that which somebody personally knows to be true despite the outside world denying it. Lyra often must keep the alethiometer secret, much as a person far from home must keep her inner truth to herself. At the same time, if she forgets about the alethiometer’s power she will be lost.
Ill-fitting, second-hand clothes (symbol)
As children arrive at Bolvangar, the staff takes away their clothing and gives them used, ill-fitting garments as a replacement. When Lyra finds Tony Makarios in a frozen fish shed, severed from his dæmon, she notices that his clothes look like hand-me-downs. Later, when she is at Bolvangar she is disappointed when she is forced to wear ill-fitting, second-hand clothing. In this sense, being stripped of one’s clothing and forced to wear something that doesn’t fit represents the alienation and loss of autonomy of the children at Bolvangar. When Lyra recovers her original clothing she also recovers her autonomy and ability to act.
Bears can only be fooled when they act like humans (Allegory)
Armored bears are famous for their cunning ability to see past attempts to trick them. However, when they become shameful of who they are and pretend to be something they are not, they become susceptible to trickery. Iofur Raknison bases his entire identity on his desire to be a human, and even carries around a rag doll that he pretends is his dæmon.
When Iorek Byrnison comes to fight Iofur, he is at a physical disadvantage. Iofur is bigger and has higher quality armor, and Iorek arrives from a twelve hour journey, tired and hungry. However, Iorek defeats Iofur by pretending to be injured. By behaving like a human, Iofur falls for Iorek’s trick and ends up dead.
Iofur’s desire to be human and his resulting downfall serve as an allegory for the dangers of denying one’s true nature. Throughout The Golden Compass, authenticity and self-acceptance offer characters strength and resilience, while pretending to be something they are not makes them weak.
